Blackfish Stewed With Corn Food

PAN ROAST LOUISIANA BLACKFISH WITH CORN, CRAB AND CAVIAR

Steps:

• In a shallow bowl, combine Parmesan cheese and flour. Lightly score the skin side of the fillets several times to form a cross hatch pattern without cutting into the flesh of the fish. Season the portions of the blackfish with salt and a touch of lemon juice. Dredge the seasoned fish into the Parmesan/flour mixture.
• In a large heavy skillet over medium heat, add olive oil. Add fillets, skin side down. Cook until skin is crisp, about 4 minutes. Flip fish and cook until fish is just cooked through, about 2 minutes. Once the fish is cooked, remove it from the pan and place on absorbent towels to rest in a warm place for a moment, while the plate is being composed.
• To serve, remove the Silver Queen Corn Pudding from molds and place into large, shallow bowls. Over the warm pudding, place a portion of fish. Over the fish, spoon on the Saute of Crab and Baby Corn. Carefully pour a small ladle of Silver Queen Foam around the fish. With 2 demitasse spoons, form the caviar into quenelle or egg shapes and place over the fish next to the bed of corn and crab. Lightly garnish the fish with chives, chive blossoms, dill and chervil.
• Preheat oven to 275 degrees F.
• In a 4 quart saucepan, bring cream and corn to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until corn is tender, about 5 minutes. Pour mixture into a blender and blend until smooth, season to taste with salt and cayenne pepper. Strain the mixture through a fine strainer into a bowl.
• In another mixing bowl, beat the eggs. Slowly pour the hot corn mixture into the eggs, whisking constantly to avoid curdling the eggs. Pour the custard into individual custard cups or molds, preferably nonstick. Place the molds in a roasting pan and pour hot water in the pan to come halfway up the sides of the mold. Bake until custards are just set, about 20 minutes.
• In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter. Add crab and corn, cook, stirring, until mixture is just heated through, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in lemon juice, remove from heat and season with hot pepper sauce and salt.
• Cut lemongrass into 2-inch pieces and bruise with the back of a knife. Place lemongrass in a piece of cheesecloth and tie closed.
• Combine lemongrass, stock and corn in a saucepan. Gently bring to a boil, simmer 15 minutes, remove from heat and let steep 15 minutes. Remove cheesecloth, puree mixture in blender, and pour through a fine strainer, pressing on the solids to extract as much flavor as possible.
• When ready to use, bring the broth to a boil, season to taste with salt, whisk in butter and froth with a hand-held immersion blender.

BLACKFISH STEWED WITH CORN

Steps:

• Place bacon in a skillet and sauté over medium heat until browned. Remove from pan, leaving as much fat as possible in pan, and drain on paper towel. Add bread to pan and sauté, stirring, until uniformly brown. Mix bacon and bread in a small dish and fold in chives. Set aside.
• Place potatoes in a pot of salted water, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain, cover and set aside.
• Meanwhile, melt butter in a large sauté pan. Add leeks and sauté over low heat until tender. Add wine, bring to a boil and reduce until wine barely films pan. Stir in corn and sugar, cook a minute or two, then add stock. Bring to a simmer. Add cream and bring to a boil. Season mixture with salt and pepper to taste.
• Add blackfish, reduce heat and gently simmer until fish is cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes. Divide fish and potatoes among 4 soup plates. Spoon hot cream, corn and leek broth over each portion. Sprinkle bacon mixture on top and serve.

PAN-FRIED BLACKFISH FILLETS WITH WARM HERB VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Scrape off any remaining scales and season the fillets on both sides with salt and pepper.
• Heat 2 to 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan or skillet over medium heat, using the smaller amount of oil for a nonstick pan. Add the fillets and adjust the heat according to their thickness. (The thicker the fillet the lower the heat.) If your pan is not large enough to hold all the fillets without overcrowding, saute them in two batches, adding more oil if necessary for the second batch. Cook the fillets for about 4 minutes altogether for a 1/2-inch-thick fillet, turning them halfway through the cooking time (or covering them if fragile), and transfer them to hot plates or a hot platter.
• Wipe the oil out of the pan with a paper towel and add the vinegar, extra-virgin olive oil and the herbs. Return the pan to the heat and bring the sauce to a rapid boil for half a minute. Remove from the heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste, spoon over the blackfish fillets and serve immediately.

OLD-FASHIONED CHICKEN AND CORN STEW

Steps:

• Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper.
• Heat butter and oil in a 4- to 5-quart wide heavy pot over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then lightly brown chicken in 2 batches, turning over occasionally with tongs, about 5 minutes per batch. Transfer chicken as browned to a bowl using tongs.
• While chicken is browning, peel potatoes and cut into 1-inch pieces.
• Add onion, garlic, and 1 teaspoon thyme to pot and sauté, stirring occasionally, until softened, 4 to 5 minutes, then add flour and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Whisk in broth and water and bring to a boil, whisking.
• Add potatoes and corn to onion mixture, then cover and simmer over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are barely tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in chicken (along with any juices accumulated in bowl) and cream, then simmer, covered, until chicken is just cooked through and potatoes are tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Season stew with salt and pepper and sprinkle with remaining teaspoon thyme.